Hamza
Meaning
"lion" (from the root ḥamuza, "strong, sturdy"); borne by an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad
The story
Hamza means lion in Arabic, by Behind the Name's flat statement, from the root hamuza, strong, sturdy, and it belongs to one of the most honored figures of early Islam: Hamza, uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, killed in battle, as Behind the Name's own note records. The American record is a clean modern arc: ten boys in the 1970s, about 140 in the 1980s, about 860 in the 1990s, about 2,700 in the 2000s, about 3,900 in the 2010s, and about 2,900 so far this decade, every one of them a boy in our records. Two syllables, a soft z, and a namesake of courage remembered across the Muslim world: for many Muslim American families it is a first-rank choice that needs no translation.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Hamza peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
59 people · the #59,447 first name in Brazil · median age 23
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Hamza
Most people given the name Hamza in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Hamza deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Hamza truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Hamza fits with your family’s names and surname.
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